Submarine safety device



Dec. 3, 1929. J. BLANCHET 1,738,093

SUBMARINE SAFETY DEVICE Filed March 9, 19 28 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 3, 1929. J. BLANCHET 1,733,093

v SUBMARINE SAFETY DEVICE Filed March 9. 1928 V 4 sneets-sneet' 2 V gmentoz \105 EP EL 4 3, 1929' J BLANCHET 1,738,093

SUBMARINE SAFETY DEVICE Filed March 9, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 awuvxnioz L OSE I 5AA NCH T De c. 3, 1929. J. BLANCHET SUBMARINE SAFETY DEVICE Filed March 9, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 yawn 561. 5 1/ SIM Dante's \J 0557 5M/VC/lEf Guyana Patented Dec. 3, 1929 JOSEPH BLANCHET, or LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS:

SUBMARINE SAFETY DEVICE Application filed March 9, 1928. Serial No. 260,505.

This invention relates to a safety device for use in connection with submarines whereby the occupants of a sunken vessel can be reached and supplied with the necessary ele- 5 ments to sustain life until the vessel can be raised.

The primary object of this invention is to provide in a manner as hereinafter set forth,

a means whereby communication can be 10 quickly established between the imprisoned crew of a sunken submarine and the outside world and whereby air and food can be introduced to the vessel easily and quickly.

The invention broadly contemplates the provision of a two part structure designed to close an opening in a submarine wall, one side of the structure being upon the inside of a ship with the other side upon theoutside thereof; and an associate structure designed to replace the outside part of the first mentioned structure for establishing communication with the'interior of the ship and permitting the introduction of food and air thereinto after the inside part of the first men- 25 tioned structure has been removed from position, this removal being effected either by the crew upon the interior of the ship or by the rescue crew upon the outside. By the use of a number of these devices each opening into a separate compartment of the ship communication can be readily established with the interior of the ship by the rescuers upon the outside.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient featuresofthe invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view of the safety device as it normally appears from the outside of the e vessel.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken upon the line 3-3 of Figure 1 Figure e isia View looking into the safety device with the outer section removed.

Figure 5 is a view of the safety device as seen from'the inside of the ship.

Figure 6 is a view in side elevation of the safety device structure the ship hull being shown in section. I

Figure 7 is a sectional view of the safety device showing the application thereto of the therelief unit.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the relief unit in position.

Figure 9 is a sectional view through the safety device and relief unit attached there to. taken substan'tiallyupon the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a sectional view similar to Figure 9'sh0wing the interior portion of the safety device removed.

Figure 11 is a section taken substantially upon the line 11-11 of Figure 9.

Figure 12 is a detailed perspective view of the closure element forming a part of the in* terior portion of the safety device.

Figure 13 is a detailed perspective view of the locking element employed for maintaining the element shown in Figure 12 in positlon. A

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numeralsof reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 indicates a portion of the hull of a submarine through which the opening 2 is formed for the attachment thereto of the safety device embodying the present invention.

The present safety device comprises two main parts one of which forms a permanent part of the submarine structure and is indicated generally by the numeral 3. while the other part indicated generally by the numeral 4 only comes into use when the submarine has been sunk, when it is applied theretoas will be hereinafter described for the carrying out of the rescue operation.

The structure 3 which is normally carried by the submarine comprises a pair of flat inner and outer rings 5 and 6 respectively, these These flanges 5 and 6 are in abutting relation as shown in Figure 3.

The inner edge of the ring 6 is provided with the screw threads 8 which are engaged by similar threads formed upon the flange 9 formed concentrically upon the inner face of the dome head plate 10. This head plate 10 closes the opening 2 upon the exterior of the submarine being drawn tightly against the outer rings 6 through the medium of the threaded connection referred to.

A pressure release aperture 11 is formed through the plate 10 and is normally closed by the screw 12. It will be readily understood that when the dome 10 is to be removed the screw 12 is first removed to allow water to enter the inside of the dome thus facilitating the removal of the dome by equalizing the water pressure against the two faces thereof.

In order to prevent the accidental turning of the dome head plate 10 an arm 13 is formed at the edge thereof through which arm a set screw 14 is passed to engage a suitable recess in the face of the ship wall.

The inner ring 5 carries adjacent its inner edge the inwardly extending annular collar 15 from the inner edge of which collar there extends from diametrically opposite points the axially directed arms 16. Each of the arms 16 has a recess 17 formed in one side edge thereof, the recess in one arm being directed opposite to the recess in the opposite arm.

Adapted to be positioned in the collar 15, is a closure block indicated as a whole by the numeral 18 which block bears against a washer disc 19 which in turn bears against the under face ofthe flange 5. The block 18 is provided'with the central packing recess 20, into which a suitable packing material is placed about a longitudinally extending latching arm controlling stem 21 which stem extends through the closure block. One end terminates within the dome head plate 10 while the other end opens through the inner face of the block 18 in-the manner shown. A suitable packing nut 22 surrounds the stem 21 and compresses the packing material in the recess20 .to make a water tight joint between the stem and the block.

The inner face of the block 18 is provided with theftransverse groove or recess 23 into which the passageway through which the stem 21 passes, opens as shown.

The inner end of the stem 21 has pivotally attached thereto the latching arms 24 each of which extends radially of the block 18 along a groove to a point a substantial distance laterally of the block for engagement in the recess of an arm 16.

The outer end of the latching arm actuating stem 21 is provided with the longitudinally extending socket 25 for the reception of an operating shaft carried by the structure 4-.

In suitably formed grooves in the opposed faces of the member 3 and flange 6 and the flange 5 and block 18 there is positioned a ring packing 9 which further increases the tightness of the joints between these parts.

The structure 1 which is employed during rescue operations and which replaces the dome head plate 10 comprises a cylinder shell formed in the three parts 25 and 26 and 26, the shell being closed by the head 27, at one end, the opposite end being open as shown in Figure 9. The section 26 of the shell is in the form of a ring having exterior screw threads adjacent the upper end, as indicated by the numeral 28, the threads 28 receiving similarly formed interior threads in the wall of the section 25. The lower end of the member 26 has a surrounding outwardly projecting flange 29 which bears against the flange 6.

The member 26 is also in the form of a ring which snugly surrounds the ring 26 and rests upon the flange 29. As shown the rings are each of such thickness that when placed together they are together no thicker than the wall of the head 27. The lower portion of the ring is provided with the exterior screw threads 29 which engage the threads 8 upon the inner edge of the ring 6.

The ring 26 carries a pair of handle members 30 by means of which the ring can be turned, when the structure 4 is placed in position to secure it to the ring 6. lVith the swivel connection thus provided the structure can be secured down without turning and without the danger of twisting or tangling the elements 33 and 38.

The section 25 has a pair of pipe lines connected thereto which pipes, indicated by the numeral 31 extend through the wall to the interior of the structure, the outer portions being provided with control valves 32. The outer ends of the pipes 31 are provided with suitable terminals for the attachment of suitable hose lines 33 to the pipes.

Within the structure t a casing 34 is mounted, this casing being provided with a door 35 provided with a suitable latching means to maintain it in closed position under ordinary conditions. This casing is supplied with a telephone transmitter 36 and receiver 37 from which a cable 38 extends through the wall 27 so that communication can be established between the occupants of the subture for the extension therethrough of the shaft 39, suitable packing means being provided for the establishment of a Water tight connection between the shaft and the wall 27. The inner end of the shaft is formed as at 41 for engagement in the socket 25 of the stem 21, when the structure 4 is in position to facilitate releasing ofthe arms 24 by persons upon the outside of the ship. The outer end of the shaft 39 carries the laterally directed arms 42 by means of which the shaft 39 is turned.

In the use of the safety device embodying this invent-ion a submarine would be equipped with one device for each individual compartment therein, the structures carried by the ship being indicated by the Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings. In the event of an accident to the ship, divers carrying one or more of the rescue structures 4 would descend and remove the dome head plate 10 to a safety device leading to a compartment in an uninj ured portion of the ship, replacing the dome with one of the rescue structures 4. When placing the rescue structure 4 in position the inner end 41 of the shaft 39 is placed in the socket in the stem 21 and after the device 4 has been secured in the proper position the shaft 39 may be rotated to disengage the arms 24 from their respective sockets or recesses in the inwardly extending arms 16. This permits the members of the crew upon the inside of the ship to remove the closure block 18, or permit the block to drop or be blown from position by the air forced through the air line thus allowing the imprisoned crew to communicate with the rescuers through the medium of the phone and receivers 36 and 37 and to receive air and liquid food into the ship through the pipe lines 31. In this manner sustenance could be furnished the crew until salvage operations could be completed and the vessel raised.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a submarine safety device, the combination with the hull of a submarine having an opening therein, of a pair of rings each including a closure seat and an offset attaching flange, the closure seats being arranged in abutting relation and the flanges engaging the opposite sides of the hull, means connecting the flanges to the hull, a removable closure secured to the outer ring and engaging its seat, a depending annular flange formed on the inner ring having keeper arms, a removable closure plate for engaging the seat of the inner ring and provided with latches for engaging the keeper arms, and means for actuating the latches from either side of the last mentioned closure.

2. In a submarine safety device, the combination with the hull of a submarine having an opening therein, of a pair of rings each including a closure seat and an offset attaching flange, the closures being arranged in abutting relation and the flanges engaging the op posite sides of the hull, means connecting the flanges to the hull, a removable closure secured to the outer ring and engaging its seat, a depending annular flange formed on the inner ring having keeper arms, a removable closure plate for engaging the seat of the inner ring, latches carried by the inner face of the last mentioned closure plate for engaging the keeper arms, a casing for connection with the outer ring and for engaging the seat of the outer ring upon removal of the first closure, and means extending through the casing for operating the latches from the outside of said casing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOSEPH BLA'NOHET. 

